The FR-B7 is a cost-reduced variant of the FR-B8, which does not include optical inputs, and can only record in 44.1kHz. It was sold exclusively in Japan as the X-B7 (Y), with wood-grain speakers. It can also be distinguished by the metallic plastic, rather than brushed aluminium, volume knob.

The FR-B7/8 is, sadly, not compatible with CD Text, making it less than ideal for easy CD dubbing. It is capable of high-speed CD to MD dubbing, however. It is, however, a highly capable and beautiful little machine, if you can get your hands on one.

This unit appears to share components with many of Onkyo’s Hi-MD devices from 2004-2006, including its late-2005, slightly more premium siblings the FR-N9 and FR-N7, the DVD/MD combo units FR-UN9 and FR-UN7, so spare parts appear to be available in reasonable number.

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Content adapted from: https://www.minidisc.org/part_Onkyo_X-B7+B8.html

Additional information from Onkyo’s mini-site (Web Archive link): http://www.jp.onkyo.com/more_emotion/frb/index.htm